Rite-Hite provides better view of dock hazards

By DC Velocity Staff

Dock equipment company Rite-Hite released three new products today at ProMat 2017 that will improve companies' ability to recognize potential hazards around the dock: Lok-Vu, Pedestrian-Vu, and Approach-Vu.

Lok-Vu provides a real-time camera view of the external vehicle restraint, allowing dock workers to actually watch the vehicle be locked to the dock. This view is shown on Rite-Hite's existing Dok-Commander system, which serves as a control panel to make sure that vehicle restraints, overhead doors, and dock levelers operate in a safe sequential order.

Pedestrian-Vu and Approach-Vu are add-ons to the company's Rite-Vu system, which provides both light cues and audio warning systems to pedestrians and forklift truck operators in the warehouse.

Inside the dock area, Pedestrian-Vu uses motion-sensing technology to trigger a bright blue light that projects onto the dock leveler when it detects material handling equipment or a pedestrian's presence inside the trailer. Pedestrian-Vu also transmits a loud alarm and flashing blue light when any dock worker or forklift enters a trailer that has not been first locked to the dock. At the same time, the external light system changes to red, warning the truck driver that there is activity inside the trailer, so that the driver knows not to pull away.

Outside the dock opening, Approach-Vu uses sensors to detect the motion of a tractor-trailer backing into a dock position. A visual and audible alarm located on the Dok-Lok vehicle restraint alerts dock workers and pedestrians of the impending danger. This alert system is needed because ambient noise often masks the sound of a cab's engine, which can be 70 feet or more from the back of the trailer. According to Troy Bergum, product manager of Rite-Hite Products, there have been 50 fatalities in the last two years caused by tractor-trailers backing into distracted pedestrians around docks.